Now it’s final: DHB in Napa

Here’s the report to end all reports on the matter: Darrius Heyward-Bey signed his contract Thursday and reported to the second of two practices Thursday at Raiders training camp.

Heyward-Bey showed up 30 minutes into the afternoon session, put on his No. 12 uniform, stretched on the side and joined the receivers near the end of route drills.

He got one chance to chase a pass, running 35 fields on the left sideline, only for Charlie Frye’s pass to go between his hands for a drop.

“Well, didn’t get no balls before I got out there,” Heyward-Bey said. “That’s not good but Coach is like, ‘Go out there.’ And then after the play he was like, ‘Well, you didn’t get any balls’ and I was like, ‘Naw.’ He was like, ‘OK, that’s my fault.’ So just first day getting out there right after the warmup, things happen.”

Things happened to Andrew Walter, too.

The fifth-year quarterback was released shortly before the afternoon practice, ending the stay of the one-time quarterback of the future.

Walter was glad to get out. He just wishes the Raiders did it sooner so he could have had an easier time catching on elsewhere.

“I’m very excited for a fresh start,” Walter said. “We’ll see what happens. The only thing different that I would have hoped for is that it would have happened earlier. Things haven’t changed since February and it occurred just now. The timing is something I can’t control and I couldn’t have been able to, but I’d have preferred it to be different.”

Walter went 2-6 as a starter in the horrific 2006 season. He was not a system fit under Lane Kiffin, and had no interest in sticking around for Tom Cable.